Penn State Football:Nittany Lions Name 2014 Team Captains

Penn State head football announced Wednesday that seven Nittany Lions have been elected co-captains by their teammates and the coaching staff.

The captaincy will divide between two offensive and two defensive co-captains along with three special teams co-captains.

On the defensive side of the ball co-captains are senior linebacker Mike Hull and senior defensive end C.J. Olaniyan.

Senior guard Miles Dieffenbach and quarterback Christian Hackenberg will take over the co-captain role on offense. Hackenberg becomes the first sophomore to be selected a Penn State football captain in program history.

"The players and the coaches voted on the team captains and these players have clearly earned the respect of their teammates and coaches," Franklin said. "We are trying to promote and develop leadership throughout the entire program and I'm really excited about the role our captains will have throughout the season."

The seven co-captains are tied for the most in Penn State's 128 years of varsity football with the 1976 squad coached by Joe Paterno. The 1991 squad featured six captains.

Hackenberg, the 2013 Big Ten Freshman of the Year, is the second-youngest Nittany Lion to be named a team captain. Freshman John Chuckran was the captain of the 1944 squad during World War II.